Electric switch.



P. BARR. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

AQPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1911. 1,049,976. Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

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WITNESSES (fi '3 na Z F. BARR.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1911.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

WITNESSES llvvElvroS ic Barr, I

v barren srarns Parana or ies.

I FREDERIC BARR, or NEW YORK, N. v.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7.191s.

Application filed March 27, 1811. Serial No. 617,056.

he object is to provide an inexpensive but reliable construction partsof which can be readily assembled and adjusted.

, The invention claimed herein resides principally in the form of'thespring contacts and the methodof supporting the movable contactmember'and a constructibn for giving the necessary tension for returningthe operating member to its normal position.

Figure 1, is a front .view of a construction of my invention in whichthe switch is embodied in a pendant socket. Fig. 2,-is a horizontalsection and planof the same taken on the plane of the line X X of Figs.1 and 6. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of the lower part or body of thesocket shell. Fig. 4, is a rear view of the switch removed from thesocket. Fig. 5, is a side view of the same and partial section on theplane of the line Y Y of Figs. & and 6. Fig. 6, is a front view of theswitch. Fig. 7. is a similar view, the movable switch member andoperating member being removed. Fig. 8, is a perspective View showingthe principal parts of the switch separated. Fig. 9 is an enlargedsectional view showing one of the stationary switch contacts and themovable switch member and the operating member. Fig. 10, is a view ofthe under side of the movable switch member. Fig. 11, is an edge view ofthe same. Fig. 12, shows the blank from which the movable switch memberis formed. Fig. 13, is a face view of one of the stationary switchcontacts. Fig. 14, is an edge view of the same. Fig. 1 1, is aperspective view of a modification. Fig. 15, is a perspective view ofthe carrier for the movable switch member. I Fig. 16, is a rear view ofa lamp socket switch embodying my invention. Fig. 17, is a front view ofthe same without the operating member and rotating switch member. Fig.18, is a front View of the same with its socket.

The pendant shell consists of the body 1 and the cap 2 securedtogetherby any suitable form of locking device. The switch properconsists of a body formed of insulating material such as porcelaintogether with the stationary and movable contacts and'opcratingmechanism. The body consists of a main portion 3 having the top andbottom circular flanges 4t and 5. These are preferably connected by arib 6 at the rear of the main portion 3 which strengthens the body.

The circuit terminals 7 and 8 are preferably'set in flush with the rearof the main portion 3 within the recesses 9 and 10 formed by the rib 6between the flanges 4 and 5.

Perforations 11 and 12 may be provided through which the circuit wiresmay be passed. The stationary switch contacts 14 and 15 are located inrecesses in the front of the main portion 3 of the body and connected tothe circuit terminals 7 and 8 by the screws 16 and 17 respectively. Themain post or spindle 18 on which the rotating parts of the switch aremounted is rigidly carried by the porcelain. The head 19 is located insuccess in the rib 6. The nut 20 is located in a recess in the boss 21(see Fig. 8)

and the threaded portion 20 of the post is screwed into it from therear.

Each of the stationary switch contacts 15 and 14 is formed as shown inFigs. 13 and 14. Each is in the form of a double spring, the contactsurface of the respective members being the arms 22 and 23. The contactarm 22 is connected to the base 15 by the intermediate arm 24 both beinginclined as shown particularly in Fig. 14 so that the free end ofthe armis down nearest the base 15. This gives a great resiliency anddurability even with a light Weight of metal and insures a more perfectcontact with the movable contact member. The contact arms 22 and23 arearranged at the sides of the boss 21 in the form of circular segments asshown in Fig. 7 Between the contacts 22 and 23 are seats 25 and-26 whichpreferably have the ends adjacent the lower portions of the contacts 22and 23 raised so as to afl'orda greater drop for the rotating springcontact member and thus a quicker make Shoulders 27 and 28 areprovidedbeneath the up per portions of the contacts 22 and 23 to prevent therotatable'contact member from [and] being rotated backwardly from theoff position. x Y

The rotatable switch contact member consists of a plate 29 for instance,of phosphor. bronze having the curved spring arms 30 and 81 {see Figs.10 and 11). Each of these arms is formed on an arc of about 180. Eacharm is joined to the plate 29 by an arched bend 32 and 33 whereby greatresiliency and life is alliorded. To form these contact memberseconomically they are made from a blank shown in Fig. 12. Here it willhe noticed that the arms 30 and 31 really constitute extensions from thearms 84 and which, in the flat blank are tangential to the main portionof the plate-29 of the blank. To form this spring preferably one arm isbent over into position and then the other is bent over past the firstand into its position. The rotatable contact member is preferablycarried by a porcelain disk or carrier 36 having an annular flange 37and a square boss 38 forming a recess in which the plate 29 can fit, thelatter having a square hole 89 to admit the boss 88. The other side ofthe carrier 36 has a flange a0 and a square boss 41 forming a recess toreceive the ratchet plate 4-2, the square hole -18 fitting over the boss1-1. This plate 4-2 has a number'ot shoulders 14 in its periplr cry.Both the plates 29 and i2 rotate with the carrier 36 by reason of thesquare hole and boss construction just described. The post 18 however iscompletely insulated lrom the plate 29 so that there can be no leakagewhen in use. j

The carrier 86 and ratchet 12 may be operated by that which forconvenience I will term an operator which has a hole 16 to accommodatethe post 18. This plate 15 has a number of ratchet teeth 4:7 forcooperating with the shoulders 1 1 of the plate 12. A suitable "form ofhandle 18 may be provided on the operator 15. A. spiral spring 49 titson the post 18 outside of the ratchet operator -15. A nut 50 screws onto the threaded end 18 of the post 18 and has one or more teeth 51. Thespring 49 has one end which presses against the handle 48 ot the ratchetplate 45 and t-he other end booked at 53 to engage one of the teeth 51of the nut- 50. As the spring is wound right handed and. the threads onthe end 01. the post 18 are right handed the tendency of the spring isto tighten the nut 50 and also to press the lever as and ratchet plate4-5 left handed. The projection 5 1 from the ratchet plate 15 normallypresses against the shoulder formed in the upper flange t 01' theporcelain body. The flange 5 of the porcelain serves as a stop when theoperat ing lever is pressed downwardly.

The lower part or body 1 of the shell is provided with a curved slotsocket. 57 for retains the operation of the handle 18. An entrance slot58 is also cut to admit of assembling more readily. A slot or recess 59is also provided in the shell 1 to receive the tip end of the post 18 soas to position the switch mechanism and prevent the parts fromrelativoly rotating or otherwise shifting. The shell 1 being more orless elastic the top of the post 18 may be more readily disengaged fromthe hole 59 by simply pressing the sides of the shell so as to elongateitin the direction of the axis of the post 18. When the parts areproperly proportioned this can,

only be done when cap 2 is removed. The

tension of the spring as) can be readily adjusted by shifting the hook58 into the proper hook 51 of the nut 50 which will thus be seen toall'ord a stepped abutment.

In Figs. 16, 17 and 18 I have illustrated my invention as adapted to alamp socket switch. The principal diilt'erencc here is that circuitterminal 70 is connected to the lamp socket 71 by a screw 72. The othercircuit terminal 73 is secured to one of the switch contacts 74 by ascrew 75. The other switch contact 7 6 is secured by a screw 77 to aconnector 78 which is in turn connected to the center lamp contact 79 bymeans of a screw 80. F or a lamp socket switch the parts 81 and 82 ofthe shell are formed appropriately to accommodate the interiorconstruction. When the rotating switch member is constructed so as torotate right handed or clock-wise it is desirable to have the thread inthe nut 20 and the corresponding thread 20 on the post 18 left handed sothat the rotation of the switch member will not tend to work the postloose. The spring arms 30 and 81 may be stitl'ened by closing the bends32 and 33. The form Off contact member shown has particular. advantagesin a socket switch where the space is very limited.

lln-the modified form of stationary contact shown in Fig. 1 1 the baseis slitted at 15 to allow the intermediate arm 24' to. be

bent up and the contact arm 22 is inclined away from the base instead oftoward it.

What I claim is:

1. In a socket switch, a shell having a perforation and a passage,ail-insulating body and switch contacts carried thereby in said shell, apost secured to said body and havingcne end projecting into saidperforation in said shell and an operating memher on said post having apartprojecting through said passage.

2. A switch construction comprising the combination of an insulatingbody, a post carried thereby, stationary and movable, switch contactsabout said post, an operating member for the movable switch contacthaving an operating lever and a shell for inclosing said parts andconsisting of a cap and mea re a body, said body having a curved slotfor said lever and a perforation to receive and position the end of saidpost.

3. A switch construction comprising the combination of an insulatingbody, a post carried thereby, stationary and movable switch contactsarranged about said post,

' an operating member for the movable switch contact and a shell forinclosing said parts and consisting of a cap and a body,said shellhaving a passage for a part of said operating member and a perforationto receive and position the end of said post.

4. In an electric switch, a base, a post rigidly carried thereby, astationary switch contact member adjacent said post, a rotary switchmember mounted on said'post, a ratchet operating member, a notchedabutment screwed on the end of said post and a spiral spring having oneend engaging said operating member and the other end engaging saidnotched abutment.

5. In an electric switch, an insulating body, a post rigidly carriedthereby, a switch cont-act member rotatable on said post and insulatedtherefrom, an operating member therefor, a toothed nut screwed .on theend ofvsaid post and a spring having one end connected to said nut andthe other end coacting-with said,operating member.

6. In an electric switch, an insulating body, a post rigidly carriedthereby, a switch contact member rotatable on said postand insulatedtherefrom, an operating member therefor, a toothed nut on the end ofsaid post"- and a spring having one endconnected to said nut and theother end coacting with said. operating member, said body having ashoulder serving as a back stop for said operating member and a shellsurrounding said parts and serving as a front stop for said operatingmember.

7. In an electric switch, a supporting body, a stationary switch segmentmounted thereon and consisting of a base and a double inclined switcharm and a rotatable contact member having reflexed spring arms adaptedto cooperate therewith.

S. In an electric switch, a supporting body, two stationary switchsegments mounted thereon and each consisting of a base. and a doubleinclined switch arm and a rotatable contact member having spring armsadapted to coact therewith.

9. In an electric switch, a stationary contact member comprising a fixedbase portion, an inclined spring contact portion and an inclined springarm portion connecting said base portion and said inclined contactportion and a rotary switch member coacting with the contact portionoisaid stationary contact member.

. 10. In an electric switch, a stationary contact member comprising afixed base portion, a inclined spring contact portion and a spring armportion connecting said base portion and said inclined contact portionand a rotary switch member having reflexed spring arms coacting wit-hthe contact portion of said stationary contact member.

11. In an electric switch, a stationary contact member comprising afixed base portion, an inclined spring contact portion and a spring armport-ion connecting said base portion and the upper end of said inclinedcontact portion and a rotary switch memher coacting with the contactportion of said stationary contact member.

' 12. In an electric switch, astationary contact member comprlsing afixed base portion, an inclined spring contact portion and.

a spring arm portion connecting said base portion and the upper end ofsaid inclined contact portion, and a rotary switch member havingreflexed spring arms coacting with the contact portion ofvsaidstationary contact member.

13. In an electric switch, two stationary contact members eachcomprising a base portion, an inclined contact portion and a connectingspring portion anda rotating contact member comprising a disk and aplurality of reflexed spring contact arms.

14. In an electric switch, one or more stationary contacts and arotatable contact member consisting of a. plate portion and two springarm portions connected to the plate portion by refiexed arched portions32 and 33 substantially as shown and described.

15. In an electric switch, one or more stationary spring contacts and arotatable contact member consisting of a plate portion and two springarm portions connected to the plate portion by refieXed arched portions32 and "33 substantially as shown and described. I

16. In an. electric switch, a rotatable switch contact member comprisinga disk portion and a refleXed spring arm connected thereto by anintegral bent portion whose axis is substantially radial to said disk.

17. In an electric switch, a rotatable switch contact member comprisinga disk portion and two reflexed spring arms connected thereto by bentportions, each arm comprising a circular segment of substantially 180.18. As an article of manufacture, a switch contact member consisting ofa plate portion and two reflexed spring arm portions integral therewithand connected to the plate portion tangentially and having theirouteredges substantially overlying the outer edges of said plateportion.

19. As an article of manufacture, a switch contact member consisting ofa plate portion. and an arm portion integral therewith immo'm inclconnectecl'to the plate tangentiallyby arms integrally connected theretoby EllCl'lQCl an archod bend and having its outer eclge bent portions83, 83 Whose axes are substansubstantmlly overlying the outer edge oftially radial.

said plate port-ion. FREDERIC BARR.

20. As an article of manufacture, tL switch l/Vitnesses Contact membercomprising a, disk portion ROBERT S. ALLYN,

and a plurality of refiexed spring Contact E. BRADFORD.

